The growing risk of a Russian attack led Danish officials to urge citizens on Saturday to stockpile water, food and other supplies — including iodine pills in case of a nuclear emergency.
"The reality is that Denmark and our allies are threatened by hybrid war," Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said during a speech in the town of Allinge. "Each of us should prepare for the fact that, for a short period, we may be without access to electricity or water, or be unable to buy basic necessities."
The warning came after Denmark recently raised its threat alert for destructive cyberattacks against companies and government agencies, saying Russia was showing an increased willingness to hack into and disrupt vital computer networks, according to Bloomberg.
The recommendations issued during Denmark's annual democracy meeting included storing about 2 1/2 gallons per water per person, enough to last three days, and non-perishable food that doesn't need to be heated before being eaten.
Danes should also have flashlights, batteries, candles and a way to stay warm in the event of power failures, officials said.
People under 40 were advised to keep a stash of iodine pills — which can prevent thyroid cancer from exposure to radiation — although Laila Reenberg, chief of Denmark's emergency management agency, said at a press briefing that it's "very unlikely" they'd be needed.
Reenberg also advised Danes to not panic and to slowly accumulate their emergency supplies.
Meanwhile, Estonia's ambassador to NATO, Jüri Luik, told the Hill that Russia has been stepping up its use of hybrid and non-military "gray zone" attacks against Poland, the Czech Republic and the Baltic countries.
Recent incidents in which Russia is suspected include the stabbing death of a Polish soldier by a migrant at the Belarusian border and a hammer attack in Lithuania on a former aide to the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
"Russia is throwing at us all the time new challenges, new risks, and hybrid has turned to be one of the serious ones for the alliance," Luik said in a report posted online Saturday.
"In all seriousness, we have to respond because if we don't respond, this will grow. And Russia will feel that there are no limits to what they can do in our countries, and obviously, there is also a discussion among allies about what would be the best responses."
